The University of Ghana’s (UG), Council has recommended the removal of the Hall Master and Senior Tutor of Commonwealth Hall following the recent violent clashes that ensued between students of the hall and Mensah Sarbah Hall on the campus.
In a recommendation of the committee, it said the two be sacked from their roles in the interim because they showed no commitment to hold students of the hall accountable following the incidents.
The clashes reportedly started Friday night, August 5, 2022, and extended into the early hours of Saturday, August 6, between the two groups on the campus.
Police were deployed to the campus and restored calm, a car parked at the Sarbah Hall during the incident was reportedly set ablaze while a statue erected was also ransacked and taken away.
The Council after its considerations of the investigative committee report concluded that the two leaders of the Commonwealth Hall should be removed from their post to enable ongoing investigations to be carried out.
“The Hall Master and Senior Tutor of Commonwealth Hall have not exhibited sufficient willingness and ability to hold students of the hall accountable for their actions in the recent violent clashes.
“These officers should therefore in the interim, be relieved of their duties while management works with the security services to investigate the clashes, and work toward finding lasting solutions to the tensions between students of the two halls,” it said in a statement signed by the registrar of UG, Emelia Agyei-Mensah.
The statement said Commonwealth Hall should also be surcharged with the cost of damages to property in the vicinity of Mensah Sarbah Hall in the clash.
Meanwhile, the Junior Common Room(JCR) Presidents of Commonwealth and Mensah Sarbah Halls have also been referred to the Disciplinary Committee for Junior Members, for their actions and inactions leading to and after the riots.
The recommendation added, that the institution’s management has in place structures for implementing the Council’s decision and also provide assistance to the Ghana Police Service in their investigations to Identity the perpetrators.
“The Police are assisting management to ensure that the implementation of these actions does not lead to further rioting, and there is, therefore, a presence of police officers on the University’s Legon campus.
“Management ensures members of the University community that it will continue to put in place measures to ensure that academic work and other activities proceed smoothly. Management also provides assurance of its commitment to safeguarding peace and stability on all campuses of the University,” It contains.
Below is the full statement
